"Tebow Bill" Fails In Senate Committee

Feb 14, 2013

The Senate Education and Health committee this morning voted 7-8 to defeat a bill patroned by Delegate Rob Bell (R-58, Charlottesville), which would have removed a significant barrier preventing home school students from trying out for public school sports teams.
The bill was a top legislative priority for The Family Foundation. More than half the states in the nation have some type of measure that provides opportunities to home school students to participate in public school sports, but at this point Virginia will not join that league.

Senator Harry Blevins (R-14, Chesapeake) joined the seven Democrats on the committee in opposition to the bill.

In committee this morning, Delegate Bell eloquently presented the bill, anticipating opponents’ arguments and masterfully debunking them. Delegate Bell explained that homeschoolers were not looking for a guaranteed spot on the team, but rather the ability to tryout. They were not looking to school shop, but rather tryout for their local high school team. And they were not looking to participate for free, but rather pay any expenses the coach deemed appropriate. Additionally included in the bill, localities retained the right to add requirements of their own and a four year sunset was included. As Delegate Bell explained, this was not an earthshaking change.

After Delegate Bell’s presentation, numerous homeschoolers were present to testify to their own academic prowess and athletic ability. Several talked about being able to participate with their friends through 8th grade only to be denied the same opportunity once they reached high school. A former homeschooler, Josh Harrison, who was drafted by and currently plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league system, pleaded with the committee to “give these kids a shot” and reminded the committee that if denied the opportunity to play, these homeschoolers will never get that opportunity back. Josh was accompanied by his former teammate who went to public school who says he wishes he could have had Josh on his public school team. All of the presentations, including those of Josh and his teammate, were impressive and compelling.

However, the opposition did not agree. The education establishment (Virginia Education Association, Virginia High School League (VHSL), Virginia School Board Association, Virginia Superintendents Association, the Parent Teacher Association, etc.) turned out in full force to oppose the bill. During the testimony by the VHSL representative, Senator Tom Garrett (R-22, Hadensville), a member of the committee, read from the VHSL bylaws which state that the organization may not advocate for or against legislation! A frantic, audible wave rippled across the packed committee room. In response, the caught-out representative, who has testified and worked against the proposal for several years, could only manage, meekly and unconvincingly, that he was "just commenting" on the bill. Committee Chairman Senator Steve Martin (R-11, Chesterfield) challenged several of the opponents on their alleged support of "choice" for parents and families while opposing the choice to participate in public school sports.

Despite today's outcome, The Family Foundation, in conjunction with Delegate Bell and homeschool families across Virginia, will continue to advocate for the right of homeschoolers to try out for public school sports. The day is coming when this change will come — it’s only a matter of time. You can email Delegate Bell by clicking here to thank him for his tireless efforts on behalf of this bill.

Will Virginia Become Las Vegas? [General Assembly Recap PART 4]

Will Virginia Become Las Vegas? [General Assembly Recap PART 4]

Legislature Approves 11th-Hour Deal for Massive Gambling Bill Plans to "Study" and Make Final Decision in 2020

Besides issues involving life and abortion, this year became the year of gambling. There were at least 15 bills to expand gambling in Virginia, including full-scale Vegas-style casinos in as many as five cities, the legalization of sports betting and online gambling, expansion of the Lottery, and the commercialization of charitable gaming. We had our work cut out for us to educate and provide testimony on the many reasons why these predatory industries are a bad bet for Virginia fiscally, economically, and socially.

With over 50 well-paid lobbyists roaming the Capitol halls on behalf of the gambling interests that flooded the Commonwealth this year, in the end SB 1126 (D-Lucas) was the last bill left standing, and the House and Senate versions of the bill could not be further apart. Then late on a Saturday evening, while no one else was at the Capitol and the session was wrapping up its last full day, the bill's conference committee members met to “resolve” the significant differences in the House and Senate versions.

Unfortunately, and to our great surprise, what they created in this back-room deal was a bill that would seem to satisfy the deep pockets of the numerous gambling interests and billionaire benefactors. The legislature essentially threw the entire gambling 'wishlist' – full-scale casinos in five or more cities, college and professional sports betting, online gambling, etc. – into one giant gambling bill. Only one casino in each city would be allowed, and only investors who can put up a minimum of $200 million in capital investments would qualify. (Hence, why we called this "crony capitalism", with the government granting monopolies to favored parties.)

The bill does require a commission to first “study” the matter and provide a report in only about 7 months from now, but with something of this magnitude, a half-year study is nowhere near long enough to show they're serious. The bill also stipulates that casinos have to be approved by the city residents in a voter referendum, but gives no say to the countless people in the adjacent localities who will also be impacted, while also ignoring the fact that big-money interests will likely pump millions into a local referendum to effectively buy the support they'll need. The bill also requires the legislature to pass the bill again next year in order for it to become law, so at least there is still time to influence legislators on these policies.

This gambling 'omnibus' bill reflects a combination of ‘kicking the can down the road’ to give the General Assembly another year to figure out exactly how much and what kinds of new gambling they want to foist upon Virginians, and also a strong legislative 'tipping of the hand' suggesting that they’re primed to expand gambling in one way or another no matter what this “study” uncovers or recommends.

A big part of the challenge this year was that the General Assembly was so preoccupied with other important matters like the ERA, tax reform, abortion and infanticide, and the improper behavior of our top three elected officials, that there was virtually no time - and no real opportunity provided - to engage in any serious policy discussions on the issues of casinos or sports betting. Much more robust discussions need to take place before the General Assembly thinks about making such a major shift in public policy.

Also noteworthy, HJ 658 (R-Pogge), a Constitutional Amendment we drafted that would have required statewide approval of any casino gambling the legislature were to pass, never made it out of committee. The bill was modeled after Florida, whose citizens voted last November by a 71% margin to put this requirement into their state constitution.

The debate over major new gambling schemes in Virginia is far from over. There is still much work and education to be done on these issues over the next year. Stay tuned as things continue to develop.

More Threats to Religious Freedom Than Ever [General Assembly Update Part 3]

More Threats to Religious Freedom Than Ever [General Assembly Update Part 3]

This year we faced a record-setting 32 bills aimed at advancing the “LGBTQ” agenda, which not only has a corrosive effect on the family and society, but always inevitably leads to conflicts with religious liberty and conscience rights. These bills included attempts to add special rights for “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” (SOGI) to virtually every area of the law. (e.g. in housing, employment, businesses, public accommodations, health insurance benefit requirements, apprenticeships, hate crimes, assisted conception/surrogacy, etc.)

Parental Rights: Several Big Wins and a Few Near Wins [2019 General Assembly Recap Part 2]

Medicaid is Crowding-Out Free Clinics

Medicaid is Crowding-Out Free Clinics

The Family Foundation consistently warned that government expansion of Medicaid would increase in demand and cost. But it is also clear now that government expansion of Medicaid is crowding-out charitable and nonprofit organizations currently providing the same service. As more Medicaid eligible patients register, the less patients that free and charitable clinics will have to serve. And without a steady number of patients to serve, free medical clinics will ultimately experience a decline in state and private funding.

WATCH: Eric Metaxes Inspires at 2017 Family Foundation Gala

WATCH: Eric Metaxes Inspires at 2017 Family Foundation Gala

As promised, I wanted you to get the video LINK to The Family Foundation’s 2017 Gala program. If you weren’t there, bestselling author and radio commentator Eric Metaxes kept the attendees of the packed convention room hanging on his every word, and I wanted to make sure you had the chance to see it for yourself. And if you were with us that evening, you’re probably interested in watching it again. Either way, please SHARE THIS with your friends and family.

You will definitely be encouraged by his timely and insightful message to people of faith in an ever-darkening culture.

I also want you to have the chance to hear from me as well, as I spoke about the value and importance of ordinary people “stepping up” in often small but hugely impactful ways. I also share my vision and sense of renewed purpose for The Family Foundation in the challenging years ahead.

If you weren’t able to join us, you will definitely want to watch it now. I hope you will be enlightened, encouraged, and inspired by what you see and hear.

Note to ACLU: Join Us!

Note to ACLU: Join Us!

It’s good when organizations that often find themselves on opposite sides can work together. At The Family Foundation, we’ve sought opportunities to join coalitions of diverse groups on important issues that shouldn’t be partisan. That’s why we’ve worked with groups like the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and others on ending the shackling of pregnant prison inmates, and with similar coalitions on financial reparations for victims of eugenics, foster and kinship care issues and others.

So we were thrilled the other day when we saw that the ACLU agrees with The Family Foundation when it comes to following laws regarding the creation and removal of regulations. You see, the federal government has to follow the federal Administrative Procedure Act and Virginia government has to follow the state Administrative Process Act. These laws, as boring and cumbersome as they are, ensure that presidents and governors – or the entities tasked with regulations – cannot act unfettered. It’s a rule of law thing.

Recently we learned that the ACLU is suing President Trump for his decision to undo a requirement that religious entities pay for their employees’ birth control under the ACA. One of the arguments they are making is that the Trump administration violated the federal Administrative Procedure Act (APA) because they allege the interim rules were released without complying with the APA’s notice and public comment requirements.

Coincidentally, that is exactly the argument being made by plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the McAuliffe administration, partially funded by The Family Foundation, after McAuliffe’s Board of Health failed to comply with the state’s APA on not just public comment requirements, but multiple other provisions as well, as it watered down health and safety standards for abortion centers. You see, following the law kinda matters, or at least it should.

Yet, to this point, the ACLU of Virginia has been strangely silent on the McAuliffe administration’s blatant violation of the law, while the ACLU national headquarters has already filed suit against Trump – though whether or not the Trump administration actually did violate APA is a matter of great question.

I’ll go on record now to say if President Trump violated the federal APA, his policy decision should be reversed and put through the proper legal channels. You see, it shouldn’t matter who the executive is or if you agree or disagree with the ultimate policy in question. The law should be followed to get to the desired end. Given the ACLU’s history of, well, let’s just say less than accurate legal arguments, I’m not super confident that their case against the President has merit, but time will tell.

I can tell you that there is no question the McAuliffe administration violated the law, numerous times. So, it would seem, if the rule of law matters to the ACLU as much as they claim, they should be joining our lawsuit any day now.